Blood Smoke
by redwingblackbird
Summary: A much darker tale of mine with another two OC stars: dragon-elf Kelcey and vampire Xak. There is much violence entwined with their destinies as they glide through the darkness that is life for them, but much love as well...
1. Shattered Night

Redwingblackbird: Smeagle's story, Smeagle's characters

**Redwingblackbird:** Smeagle's story, Smeagle's characters! You will not infringe on the preeeeeeeeeciouuuuuuuus...

--

It had been a long night of waiting when I quit around 11. Some of the best jobs came late, but even the best mercenary has to sleep sometime. I sighed and ran one clawed hand through my dirty-blonde hair. Jobs were getting scarce. I had a reputation as the most ruthless creature for hire for 150 miles, but there was only so much trouble one town's population could take. My violet eyes finally rested on home, the large Victorian house was dark and quiet, but home.

I unlocked the door without too much trouble and creeped inside- I didn't want to wake my roommate, Kathy, as early as she usually went to bed- that is, early by my standards. The blue glow of the TV flickered in the living room down the main hallway, through the kitchen, and I went to investigate. The black shag carpet darkened the room even more than usual, and its theatre-like setup encompassed a giant screen. Beanbags were scattered among the seven levels of the room, meant to house all the members of our group at once, and it was on one of them that I found them.

Shadow and Kathy looked fast asleep, his arms around her and her head on his chest. The TV's screen was blue as whatever movie they had been watching was long since over- I turned it off and plunged us into darkness. Just as I was aware that my avian friend was perfectly asleep, my dragon's senses told me her companion was not- who knows which of my small noises had woken him. I could sense him tense slightly, waiting for whatever snide remark I would launch.

I simply turned and left, too tired to mock them. I knew as I climbed up to the second floor that Shadow would snuggle closer and fall fast asleep again, content. I sighed. They were blind to the fact that their relationship was a crippled one. No matter how much she loved him, in my eyes he'd never do enough to deserve her. Even if they did make it work- as Shadow seemed to intend to- she would be the breadwinner between them, and she would grow older and grayer and more miserable every day of her long life as he grew happier for eternity. But she would say the same thing, evening after evening to me: "I love him, Kels. I could never leave him."

Let them have their infatuation, I thought angrily. Let them speed on to their doom. Disasters were my business, I had no problem watching this one in slowmo.

I gave a sigh of exasperation as I finally reached my room and slid out of my clothes, collapsing onto the bed. Sweet darkness overcame me.

I woke up around 10 to the smell of smoke.

"Don't worry, Kathy's cooking again," a deep, calm voice breathed in my ear.

"Morning Xak," I groaned, rolling over to face him. I knew I was a mess, but as always my vampire mate looked perfect in the early part of the day I so loathed. His pale skin seemed to glow in the room's half-light, and I ran my hands over his bare chest. "You weren't here last night when I got back." It was an accusation.

"I had to take care of something," he whispered, garnet eyes closing for an apologetic kiss. I brushed his black hair from his eyes to look into them. Even in the morning I felt my molecules rearrange themselves under his gaze. I noticed the smoke smell intensifying.

"I'd better go stop her before she burns the place down." This was soon accompanied by screams downstairs.

"Ack! Bloody..."

"Don't bother," my lover growled. "Shadow's already got the pan in the sink, but not in time to stop her from getting burned."

"Aowwou," I imitated, puckering my lips and cradling my hand pitifully, as no doubt my housemate was doing now.

"He'll kiss her cheek to distract her as he heals her hand because he knows she hates it when he patronizes her and doesn't even let her wounds heal naturally," he continued, lips brushing my forehead.

"She'll hug him tight."

"And they'll stay there like that until we go and break it up."

"Let's get moving, then," I finished, throwing the covers off and getting up. I pulled on a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt crawling with silvery dragons. Turning, I saw Xak in his typical black pants and button-up shirt. Left wide open, of course. He smirked when he caught me staring.

"Come now, love. That's what the night is for."

We snuck down to the kitchen and pounced. The couple was indeed locked in their moment alone, but hey, what are friends for? The two of us let the fire extinguishers we were carrying loose, covering them in pale blue foam. They jumped apart, swearing, as we laughed and left.

Xak gave me a goodbye kiss and we went our separate ways to work.

I had to commute to Hell. Yeah, you heard me right. Hell. It's one of the nearest neighbors to Nowhere. Again, your ears aren't bad. The four of us live, quite literally, in Nowhere, Texas. The two nearest neighbors are Heaven and Hell, a good couple days walk to either for a human. When the settlers finally made it here, to the very heart of Texas, I think they'd run out of names and canned beans and so had to stop here and come up with a name simultaneously. Can't have a blank on envelopes, ya know. Although taxes and things seem to overlook a place called Nowhere, with its population of 593.

It took an hour on my motorcycle just to get to the valley, and in the valley was Hell. Black and red brick buildings towered and stunk of drugs and blood and prostitution. In the heart of the city was my place of business: The Devil's Snare. I worked there as a bartender. Just a day job of course.

I cleaned glasses from the night before until about 3, when the first heavy drinkers came in. They had seven beers between them and were just starting to really get wasted (I suspected the needles they dropped) before Xak showed up about 5:20. Then it was a string of customers. Pina Colada, Hurricane, hard liquors, four different kinds of beer, a handful of Bloody Marys...

The place was pretty rowdy by the time my replacement showed up. She was far less clothed than I and flirted with more than her smexy mate, so they preferred her on the night shift. That was alright. I needed to talk to Sama anyway.

The dark alleys of Hell frighten most. There are points at which the buildings block out the moon and all other traces of light, so even a dragon-elf hybrid like me can't see a thing. However, when you're the most feared creature for miles and miles, and you know you can kick any rapists/sadists/murderers/druggie's arse without blinking, you really don't worry much.

Xak beat me to my office. Sometimes I really hated how fast vampires can run.

"'ello." He greeted, a smile plastered across his face. "I know you want to see Sama. I'll watch things here." Really, there was no need, people would have waited.

But, I did need to talk to Sama. I could be awhile, knowing it. "Thanks," I nodded and opened the bookcase to step into a spotlessly clean laboratory. Chemicals of every color bubbled and smoked on tables that were also used for autopsies- Sama loved the dead. I found it sleeping in front of a hamster running frantically on its wheel. I gave the stool it was sitting on a light kick and it woke up with a start, brown eyes mere pinpoints.

I say "it" because we're not sure if Sama is a "he" or a "she". If Sama is a he, then he has a high-pitched voice and no balls. If it's a she, then she's flat as a board with a square torso and narrow hips. Its hair was shaggy and ragged-cut, hanging below its ears, dyed godless shades of purple and blue. Its skin was as pale as the long white lab coats it wore, and its thick brown glasses matched its eyes and flat boots.

Anyway, it started awake and greeted me. "Ah, Kelsey. I thought you'd be coming in." It stood and walked over to a wall made up of drawers. It opened one and held up my weapons. "All fixed up." It handed the twin Uzis to me and I twisted my wrists, getting back to familiarity with their weight, the black steel gleaming in the stale white lab light. "You'll notice the butts are hollow, and there are compartments on the underside of the barrel."

"What for?"

"Secondary ammunition. I've given you gold rounds, silver rounds, wooden rounds, pyro rounds, poisoned rounds, and tank-piercing rounds in addition to the armor-piercing goodies you already carry. You'll also find a silencer on Shin'di and a sniper-grade scope on Vin'du."

"You spoil me," I grinned.

Sama spread its hands. "No, dear employer, you spoil me." I nodded and left. We provided it with all the equipment it needed for its lab, on the only condition that it do favors for us and not ask questions.

I then sat at my desk cleaning my weapons. Shin'di was made of lighter weight metal and had been outfitted for a silencer- a possible stealth weapon. However, it could fire with all the mad strength of Vin'du, which was heavier, but vicious. I think the record was 100 rounds in a second.

Yeah, Sama was that good.

Anyway, I was about to leave around 11:30 when a tall man with a sallow face walked in. He seemed young, but his face looked like he had seen tragedy and would never be the same.

"I hear you handle strange cases. Cases no police force could ever solve."

I nodded, clicking Vin'du's barrel back into place.

"I have a job for you. I'll pay 5,000 for every perpetrator you bring in, dead or alive."

"Catch?"

"This job might cost you your lives."

"What's the gig?" It wouldn't be the first time Xak and I had put our lives on the line.

"There's a murderer on the loose. I'm suspecting three or more, but the station's calling it a single homicidal maniac. 24 killings in the last two days, all at night." He handed me some photos of crime scenes. Blood was painted all over the alleys. Young girls were nearly torn to shreds and lay in mangled heaps.

"I'll get your murderers. Dead. And I'll expect you to be able to pay up." He nodded once and hurried out.

"Newborns," Xak growled from a dark corner. "So messy."

"Loose newborns," I corrected. "No one to keep them from crap like this. We've got to destroy them before they move on, out of our range."

"I'll see how many," he offered. "For now, you go home. They'll be easier to track in the daylight." I readily agreed and locked up shop. Xak darted off silently to scope off the enemy while I mounted my bike and sped home.

I finally got there around 1:00 and slipped into bed. Xak glided through the open window and closed it before joining me.

"Well?"

"Don't think about it right now," he murmured, kissing my shoulder.

"Tell me."

"Four newborns. 30 killings." His awful-wonderful lips had worked up to my neck. "Don't think about it right now."

As always, I found that I couldn't. A vampire's power is persuasion- altering the mind's thoughts. I knew what he wanted and turned to face him and his fangs sank into my skin.

I tracked the four down the next day and disposed of them easily, but something didn't feel right. I waited hours afterward, hidden from sight, until eventually a fifth vampire came to the stacked bodies. It was a female, the newborns had been men. She was wearing hardly enough black leather to hide herself, so I could easily see the tattoo (real, dearie, not henna) gouged in her back. A spider was set between the shoulder blades, all eight legs tapering across her back and just touching her sides, shoulders, and I supposed buttocks. Beside me, Xak grew taut as a wire.

"The Black Widow," he mouthed.

She laughed and said something in a tongue I could hardly understand and left.

Xak and I took the bodies and received our reward. Back at the bar, I demanded who the Black Widow was.

"A powerful vampire. She's a mercenary and will kill anyone for the right price- and for a night with the men."

"You're kidding."

"No, she'll rape if she has to, but she almost always takes them before the kill." His red eyes were dead serious.

"How do you know her so well?"

He sighed and his pale mask dropped for a moment. I saw the torture there and tilted my head, waiting.

"I used to work for her."

"WHAT?!" I shrieked, slamming our bedroom door behind me.

"I was her partner, as I am yours." He looked right at me, pain at my anger. "It wasn't like that between us, no matter how much she wanted it to be. I never felt the way I feel about you for any other woman." Then why did I feel so betrayed? "She did try to make me her mate, but I wouldn't do it."

I turned my back to him. I didn't believe a word, didn't want to hear any more.

"Get out."

"Kiera, I-"

"Get out!"

When I turned, he was gone, silent as a shadow.

I threw myself on the bed and cried until darkness closed over my eyes.

--

Xak wasted no time in hunting down the Black Widow. He barged into the hotel suite she was staying in and glared down at her. Her eyes were bright crimson and challenged him with their gaze.

"You loved me once," she accused, her voice like sticky silk.

"No, I worked beside you."

"You wanted to sleep beside me."

"I never did!" He growled, cracking his knuckles. "I would sooner eat human food and never drink again!"

She took a step back and a look of fear and hurt crossed her too-perfect face. "How can you forget so soon, forget how it was?" Her long-fingered hand reached out and gently touched his.

A flurry of memories assaulted his mind- the two of them taking down anything from elephants to dragons to mobsters to children. Kelsey would never kill the innocent.

The two of them going their ways, her looking longingly at him every night. He did not care for her, she was nothing more than a co-worker.

Her drunken, failed seduction. He hated her.

Xak knew she was delving through his mind, his memories, but was helpless to stop her. When she finally released him, she backed up against the wall.

"The newborns were bait," she whispered defeated, "to bring you here. I thought... but you have _her_." The final word dripped acid. "Well, at least I can fix that."

Before Xak could do anything, she had bolted out of the window. He gave chase but couldn't catch her, only able warn Kelsey by screaming as they approached.

"FLY, KIERA, FLY IF YOU WANT TO LIVE!" She must have heard, because her silhouette soared into the black sky. But even a dragon cannot outrun a vampire, and the Black Widow was bent on revenge. A gun fired once, twice in the blackness, and she fell. The Widow emptied the magazine into the helpless girl and bolted off.

"KIERA!" The earth and sky were filled with the vampire's scream. He reached her, dropped to his knees and lifted her shoulders. All the color had drained from her skin, her breathing had nearly stopped. Her pulse was so weak he was sure he was just imagining it. Xak was trembling, his red eyes darkening in rage and sorrow. He threw his head back and screamed in agony.

"KIERA!"


	2. Transformation

Redwingblackbird: Alright, you know the drill

Redwingblackbird: Alright, you know the drill. My charries, my story. INFRINGE AND PERISH!

--

"KIERA!"

My cry was one of agony. She lay in my arms, pale as death and still as stone. Love came to vampires once, and only if they had so charmed the gods that it came at all. Kelsey, Kiera, my only warmth, was gone. Shot from the sky by a woman who thought she was better.

There was still one chance. I extended my fangs and bit viciously into my tongue. Black blood flowed and I thought a rapid, silent prayer.

I pressed my lips to hers, letting my infectious blood run down her throat. _Forgive me, Kiera,_ I begged, if her spirit lingered. _I cannot go on living without you..._

The cuts in my mouth healed quickly and I pulled away, letting her breathe, if breathe she would. A long moment passed and my heart, which beat so softly, stopped. My vision blurred and I wondered why, since vampires cannot cry.

Then, a miracle. The dragon arched her back and coughed, sputtering for air. I praised the gods I knew for letting her return and for a moment forgot the full implications. I scooped milady up and ran home, resting her on our bed.

I quickly removed all eight bullets and noticed how much blood was spilling. It had started red, but now was deepening to black. All Kelsey's wounds healed in moments after the bullets were gone, much to my relief, and after I had removed all traces of blood from the room, I propped her up on a few pillows and smiled into her sleeping face.

The change would not be easy, or pleasant, I knew. I felt horrible for forcing this on her- she never asked for eternity, much less an eternity of night and blood. She would need at least a week of rest while my blood altered her body, and gods knew how long before she was alright around people again, not trying to bite them. Newborns tend to drink often and fatally.

I was tired. I laid my head on her lap. We cannot sleep naturally, but we can rest so still that it might be called sleep for all the good it does us. Curling up on my side, I wondered what would happen when my lover woke.

She wove her fingers through my thick black hair absently.

"Xak..." she murmured weakly. "What... happened... love?"

I turned my head to rest my face on her thigh. This would not be easy.

"Xak..." her voice was more urgent now, frightened.

"I saved you, Kiera. The only way I could." I rolled over onto my back and looked up into her face. It was pale now, and would be forever, I knew. But even now, with her once-violet eyes almost black, she was beautiful. "I bit myself so you could drink my blood."

Horror washed over that beauty, and I felt myself fill with guilt. "I'm..."

"Going to be a vampire," I finished for her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it to be this way. I didn't mean to doom you." I reached up to hug her around the waist and buried my face in her stomach. "I'm so sorry, Kiera, my darling..."

Kelsey's long, clawed fingers began working through my hair again. "I always... intended this..." she struggled to speak. "To be yours... forever. I just thought... the change would be on my terms..."

"I know." We lay there in silence for a long while, but she didn't lull back to sleep. "You need to rest," I murmured.

"I can't."

"Yes, you can. It will be a couple of days before the change is finished. In the meantime, you can still sleep." Slowly, I felt her consciousness slip away, and I rested myself, weary of worry.

I needn't have been concerned. I hadn't been aware she was awake until she tried to get up. Her strength was still no match to mine, and I held her in place without moving.

"You need to rest."

"I can't. I have too much energy." She made a proper push to get up.

"Listen to me!" I growled, losing my patience. I sat up and pushed her back on the pillows, a little too hard, maybe. "If you get up and go out, you're going to do something you'll regret. You'll bite someone without thinking and drain them dry without a flinch." I was angry, and I didn't know why, but seeing the shock and fear in Kelsey's eyes was all I wanted just then. She was getting it. That's all that mattered. "Control comes with time. You need a couple of more days and you'll be in full control of your body. But you need _a few more days_. It's that or the first person you see will be dead as a doornail and have never seen it coming from you."

"Xak," the dragon whispered, hurt. The guilt hit me then and I dropped my hands from her shoulders.

"I'm sorry," I said. "How do you feel, other than restless?"

"Weak." I nodded. She was thirsty.

"Smile for me?" She bared her teeth and I scrutinized them. Her fangs weren't fully in yet. "Can I trust you to stay here while I get you something to drink?" When she hesitated, I went on. "It will stop the weakness and quiet you down so you can rest." She nodded halfheartedly, and I lifted her chin to look at me. "Promise?"

"I promise."

I was out of the room in an instant and found just the person I was looking for reading at the kitchen table.

"What is it, Xak?"

"Can I ask you a favor for Kelsey?" She nodded. "Now don't panic. She needs a little blood." A few blinks.

"You're turning her, aren't you?"

"She would have died if I hadn't."

"Then take as much as you need... within reason." The next ten minutes were spent drawing a syringe of the red stuff from her arm and mixing it in a mug of warm wine.

When I got back upstairs, she was pacing in her demi form. The scales on her wings and tail had darkened somewhat, but retained their amethyst luster.

"Be a good girl and come back to bed," I sighed, wondering if children were this troublesome. She sat on the edge and I handed her the mix, watching her sip it cautiously.

"Where did you get blood?" she asked.

"You have a willing donor." She drank the remainder and curled up with the look on her face of a kitten that has just been nearly drowned in cream. I snuggled close. Even when she was driving me crazy, she was making me fall further in love. She was fast asleep in an instant, and I drank in the scent of her dirty-blonde hair, content.

When I was sure she slept, I rose. My lover wouldn't be contented for long. I needed more blood for her, and she shouldn't be drinking from me for awile yet.

I returned an hour later with two more syringes, which is all I could ask of my three potential donors, and all I would hopefully need. I mixed up another mug and, as if on cue, she stirred.

"How do you feel?" I asked, my back to her as I stirred.

"Powerful," she growled back. "Why can't I go outside?"

"One more day," I sighed patiently, turning. "Just one more for me to make sure you're in full control of yourself."

"No," she complained, standing. "I've been cooped up here long enough."

"Alright, retract your fangs, then." I watched for a minute as she struggled to comply before throwing herself facedown on the bed in frustration. "Soon," I promised, sitting down beside her and handing her the concoction. "Just as soon as you can learn the ropes of this new life from me, okay?"

The blonde head nodded weakly and took the mug from me and took a sip. A confused look crossed her eyes and she sniffed warily.

"Where'd you get dragon's blood?"

"Another donor," I supplied. "Drink."

She did, hesitantly, and put it down before sitting up. "Alright. Teach me these 'ropes' sensei." I had to chuckle. She was so serious to get out that she had actually accepted me as a teacher.

We sat there a long while and I gave her everything she would need to know to survive, from retracting and releasing her fangs to controlling her hunger for blood. Everything, except how to use her new vampiric powers. The only way I could justify this to myself was the fear of what would happen if she were given these extra tools- gods knew I had already stacked the deck in her favor.

Finally she yawned, stretched, and lay down to rest. My arms were around her in an instant and I joined her, happy that the transition had been so smooth for her.

The next morning, close to noon, I used the final measure of blood.

"Kiera," I murmured, "this donor is different from the other two. Trust me when I say that I wouldn't be giving this to you if I didn't trust you could handle it." I handed the mug to her carefully and watched her drink. There was a pause, a silence that hung heavy.

"Human blood." Her eyes burned bright violet. "Who...?"

"Someone who fears for their employer." I stood and held out my hand. "Come," I commanded softly. She took my hand and followed silently, and we walked into the world she had once known.

My new dark-loving eyes blinked frantically in the pale sunlight as it sparkled off my white skin. They adjusted quickly, however, and I walked slowly down the stairs of the house I shared with Kathalita.

"Sissy?" I called hesitantly into the kitchen.

"Kels-Kels?" she asked back, coming into view from the living room. I smiled sadly at my old childish nickname and noticed the green bruise on the inside of my friend's elbow. She was one of the blood donors? "Come on," she called, crooked smile gleaming full power. "Movie's on." I followed and sat with Xak on one of the sofas as she joined her own better half, Shadow.

The movie was_ Romeo and Juliet_. I couldn't pay attention and kept looking over to Shadow and Kathy, who were cuddled close. He murmured Romeo's lines in her ear and she blushed happily.

How? How did he manage? How did he protect her and keep her happy when it was so clear their relationship was doomed?

Their personalities fit together like pieces of a puzzle, locking them in love- except for one thing. Their work ethics were so different they could hardly see each other, she working as hard as she could to be the best, him slacking off and simply not caring about much of anything. They fought about it occasionally, and I knew it hurt them both. It would be worse when they went their separate ways- I knew they would. There was no other way for each to find perfect happiness.

But right now they were tangled in each other's arms during the balcony scene and they were happy. How did he do it? How could he make his angel so happy when my own beloved suffered constantly from my place in her life? Look where it had landed her: a hybrid vampire-dragon-elf. Trapped in a world of eternal night where she needed the blood of others just to exist.

I envied him. It was so easy for him. The jealousy burned deep in my chest even as Kiera rested her head against it and asked in a whisper what was wrong. I denied being disturbed and she sat up, beckoning me to follow her out of the room.

Back in the kitchen, she asked if going into the sunlight would kill her. I said no, but she would be nearly blind from the light and weakened by its strength.

"We shall wait for nightfall, then."

Back upstairs in our bedroom, she hugged me tightly and I returned the embrace.

"I'm scared, love." The admittance startled me- Kiera didn't let anything frighten her. "But I know I'll get through it. Quite literally now, I'm built to survive."

"I'm sorry," I murmured into her hair, feeling it with all my soul as I drank in her scent.

"It's not your fault," she responded. "It's _hers_."


End file.
